Radio Antioch

This is our Radio Antioch Podcast Episode 19.

    During his recent visit to our Radio Antioch Live! meeting, Dr. Cliff Pash offered this challenging look at this familiar scripture.

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Cliff Pash in Kakira, Uganda

   This Mission Update is Radio Antioch Podcast Episode 18.

   My Friend Dr. Cliff Pash of Advancing the Kingdom Ministries spoke at our Radio Antioch Live! meeting on February 20th about the mission projects they are running in Uganda. We work with Dr. Pash when we are in Uganda and have been part of several of their projects. In this video, Dr. Pash brings an update on the work in Uganda, along with some insights on ministering to the predominately Muslim people in the region.

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Hundreds of villagers waiting to be tested during
one of the three days of the Health Mission

A three-day Medical Mission was a major part of our recent trip to Uganda. Our friends Cliff and Julie Pash run a mission base in Nawansega, Uganda. Over the last three years, we have partnered with them to raise funds for construction, as well as teaching and ministering in the villages each time we are there. A few months ago, the neighbor who owns the property next door to the mission base passed away unexpectedly. It soon came to light that he had died of an advanced case of syphilis. This moved Dr. Pash to action. How could you stand by and watch your neighbor die of a treatable disease and do nothing about it?

While the “Born Agains” (What the locals call the evangelical Christians) teach marriage is between one man and one wife, many of the Muslims and those of other African religions have multiple wives. If one adult in these marriages practices sexual impurity or marital unfaithfulness, diseases can spread to multiple adults within the family.

Janet, Julie Pash with Ugandan officials who came to
speak on the first day of testing.

The first problem to solve in our new plan to combat this disease was finances. Local officials were all too thrilled to give us help. Unfortunately, not all of the supplies were available from the government. We needed to raise money to purchase the testing kits and the medicine to treat any cases of syphilis we found. When the Pashes emailed their supporters  about the need, they immediately responded with donations that covered the treatment kits and other expenses. Antioch Tabernacle Ministries provided money from our missionary offerings to pay for the medicine to treat those found to have syphilis.

The next task was to mobilize the people in the four villages surrounding the mission base to come to be tested. At first, a number of local Muslim officials refused to help, not wanting to do anything that lends any credibility to the Christians. But others put their differences with us aside and joined the work. The Lord gave us favor with the RDC, ( the regional governor), who came to the event to speak and demanded all of the officials to mobilize their villages. The regional arm of the Ugandan health ministry sent us a team of 5 workers who worked tirelessly along side us for three days. They also provided AIDS testing supplies, so that we could also test the villagers for HIV.

For three days, large crowds of villages came to the mission base to be tested. Volunteers from the team would take the names of the villagers. A nurse would then draw blood samples. While people were waiting, team members gave talks on preventing Aids, syphilis and other sexually-transmitted diseases by practicing purity and faithfulness.  When the test results were completed, villagers were called into a private room one at a time and told the results.

Taking the blood samples

Teaching Purity and Faithfulness

On the third day of testing, we also had a special program for mothers with infant children. The local moms were treated to tea and a type of local homemade donut. Team members talked with them about health issues and prayed over the children. Each mom then got to pick an outfit for their baby from clothes sent from a church in Iowa.

Janet talking with a local Mom

New clothes for the babies

When it was all over, we had tested over 530 people over the three day period.  When the test results came in,we identified 38 new cases of HIV, and 76 villagers with syphilis.  Those with syphilis are being treated at the mission base with one shot a week over a four week period. Those positive for HIV were connected with a Ugandan government program to receive aid and supplies.

Being part of this effort was heartbreaking, frustrating, but also satisfying. It was a great way to show the love of Christ to the villages.

Sometimes we have to do more than just preach the gospel. Sometimes you have to demonstrate the gospel with what you do.

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Dave speaking in the Source Village square

Hello Friends,

Jan and I have now returned to the US, after spending the last few weeks in Uganda. As always, the trip was challenging, encouraging, heartbreaking and at times just plain insane. Thanks to all of you who enable us to go by supporting this ministry with prayer and finances.

Sometimes I am asked what it is like ministering in the villages of rural Uganda. I guess the first answer is that it is never the same. Each time is a little different. We began this trip with ministry in two of the villages where Antioch Tabernacle Ministries has partnered with local Bishop Nicholas Ongamo to build churches. After raising the money to build churches in these villages, we also visit and minister  whenever we can to support the growing local churches there. Each of these churches has a Pastor and regular Sunday services. Neither Source or Wandago village has electricity or running water, so whenever we are in the area we like to take a team from Nicholas’ church in Kakira, along with a generator, music and sound equipment, and have outdoor events. We often have a worship team of 6-7, along with keyboard and drums.

Gather around for the big event!

When we begin out time of praise and worship, a lot of villagers gather around. First, there are the children, often hundreds of them. Those that are among the “Born Agains” (The local name for Christians) will be up front dancing, shouting and worshiping. Back further away will be a ring of the village women, often with small children. Usually the outer ring of the crowd will be the village men who are interested, but watching from afar. And yet it is from these outer rings where people come forward for prayer and ministry. Early in our trip we did an outdoor crusade in both Source and Wandago villages.

Wandago Village Outdoor Crusade, with the Wandago
church in the background. The worship team is dressed in yellow.

The trail to Bunkenke Village

Sometime you find ministry where you least expect it. One afternoon when I was at the mission base in Nawansega province, some brothers were going out to Bunkenke village, which is about an hour and 15 minute walk away, via a trail through the fields, and invited me to come along. I said “sure” and left what I was doing to hurry up and catch up with those already on their way. When we get to this little village, a local home owner has spread out a tarp in the compound in front of his house, along with a small table and a few chairs. Soon a brother arrived on a bicycle with a large drum. (no generator, microphones or other toys this time!) Soon some of the local believers arived, and we began a time of singing and praising God, with nothing but voices and the drum. As villagers walked by, some would look on, others would walk over and join us. Soon there were close to 60 people.

After a while we finished our worship time. One brother raises his voice and says “we are thrilled to have with us today brother David from Chicago America, who will bring us the word of God!”  Gulp! Nobody told ME I was preaching….In fact, my bible was over an hour away in nawansega. But it seemed to be the most natural thing to speak about the Christ who has transformed my life, there under the open heaven in a simple village. Without, bible, notes, mic, speakers or anything else, we had church. Sometimes I think it would be great for the church in America to get back to the simple things. We had no fancy equipment, building, or anything else. Just worshiping believers and the presence of God. In each of these village crusades, we saw a number of salvations and supernatural healings, with people powerfully touched by the power and presence of God. But in that little village I remembered the simple truth and power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and boy, did we have a celebration!

Preaching in Bunkenke

The Local Praise and Worhip department!

Dave preaching under the tent in Kakira

We are excited to announce that Jan and I will be going to Uganda this summer, departing June 29th for about two weeks.

Our first stop will be at the Tumaini Children’s home, overseen by our friend Nicolas Ongamo.
We regularly send funds to help feed the 80+ kids here as part of our outreach program.

Some wonderful children from Tumaini at dinnertime. Pastor Nicholas has had a very hard time in the last few months raising enough money for food, as offerings from the US are down. If you would like to contribute to help buy a few bags of rice and beans to help out the kids, use the donate link at left and note “for the kids” and we will see that Pastor Nicholas gets 100% of your gift.

We will next be ministering at the church in Source Village. Antioch Tabernacle Ministries funded the construction of this church and we minister there when we are in the area.

A view inside the source church, with a few of the ever-present children peeking in at the Mazungu.

The village churches are typically not very large, but we pack over a hundred people in during a service.

The worship team belting out the praises “a capella” !

Next we will be ministering at Kakira Christian center. This is the “Mother” church overseen by Pastor Ongamo, who raises up the next generation leaders and plants them out in the village churches. After a Sunday in Kakira, we will go on to Wandago village, the site of the second church that we have raised funds to construct. Wandago village has two main engines that drive its economy- Homemade Rum and Prostitution. In addition to constructing the church there, we also provide the salary for Pastor Patrick in Wandago, from our missions offerings.

The Church in Wandago, constructed in 2006-2007.

For the next few days we will be working with our missionary friend Dr. Cliff Pash and the Ugandan government, using our churches as a base to host a medical outreach, providing Aids and syphilis testing, various immunizations and health counseling.

Our next stop will be Evangel Church in Jinja, where we will be holding a conference with Dr Pash, building into the local churches and leaders ministering 3-4 times over a three day period.

Our last stop will be in Nawansega province, where we have been working with Dr. Pash to establish a mission base. Jan and I will be preaching there during the evenings and one Sunday morning.

The Orphan Facility in Nawansega. Your offerings provided a large portion of the funding to construct this, as part of our third African church construction project. We also raised funds to contribute to the construction of the large open-air pavillion used as a main sanctuary, where 300-400 people gather for Sunday morning worship.

We have several needs that we want to share with you. First, we very much need your prayers as we travel about the villages, not only for traveling mercies but also that the ministry will be fruitful and that lives will be touched. We are also in need of finances, not only for our travel expenses, but also to sow into the ministry projects. If the you want to support our missionary outreach, you can donate using the “Donate” link to the left, or by mailing to our PO Box. As always, all donations are tax deductible in the United States.

Thanks again for your continued prayers and support. You are much appreciated.

Dave and Jan